Robyn Simon, 67, Blue Mountains of Australia

What is Age Esteem?   If you’re talking about ladies, I think a woman should be confident to be herself at every stage of her life and especially as she matures to have an understanding of how she presents herself to the outside world based on her own belief in herself and not that dictated by fashion, culture or status.  To realize that I can say from my life that the more mature you get, in actual fact in your own outrageous or quiet way the more outrageous you can be.

It’s an interesting word, esteem, and I think sometimes it is hard won.  The situations around us put us down and make us feel small and I think this is where the community of other women can really support us.  I think that Age Esteem can start at any stage of life from the youngest person to the most mature.

My greatest concern is the lack of physical flexibility and strength.  I feel that because I’m taking care of supplementation and diet and I have relatively good genes with aging I’m intending not to lose my flexibility and strength , but it is one of my concerns.  I’ve been crippled with arthritis and I’m looking after my eyesight but I would be very concerned to lose the faculty of eye sight.  My concern would be to lose the facility to have continuing new adventures in life.  I would not like to lose that.  And yes, a practical concern and a very valid one for most women of the world is to have enough finances to maintain my life in a relatively comfortable manner, and especially to have enough finance to move and to travel a bit.  I think that is very important to me.

Robyn’s Tips:  Stay in the present as much as possible and do not dwell in the past.  Do not live with regret mulling over negative things that may have happened in the past.  Keep your mind in the present as much as possible.

I think that Spiritual development and training is very important to well being because if you train your mind not to sweat the small stuff.  Sweating the small stuff is occupying your mind with criticism, hatred, or all things that can pull a person down.

It is very helpful for a woman to be sure that she has younger friends in her life.  I think you need to have a large spectrum in associations.  I actually went back to work in a spa industry that does massages and beauty treatments and facials and most of the young ladies who worked with me were between the ages of 19 and 25.  That’s one of the best things I’ve done.  I also love spending time with younger men.  Some of the greatest actresses in the world made it very clear that you should have young men around you.  Their energy, all they exude, their presence, I think it is helpful and important.  And I think that a lot of European ladies have known that for a long time.

Also diet.  There is a lot of knowledge out there now for how to look after your physical body that’s reasonable.

Robyn Simon, specialist in aromatic medicine, www.mydoterra.com/robynsimon

Bonnie Ross-Parker, 67, Atlanta, GA (originally from Hartford, CT)

I love the idea of AgeEsteem. I think of being proud to be where you are whatever your age is and having that kind of self-confidence and that belief in yourself that doesn’t have anything to do with age or with your chronological place in the world.  It’s just how you feel about yourself.

There are concerns about aging.  I guess I would have to say that my greatest concern is that I won’t be able to get everything done that I want to do before I pass.  There is so much more travel and so many more experiences I would like to have.  I’ve been moving into the closing of my 6^th decade, and it makes me realize that time is so short and so valuable and there is so much more to do and so much to experience.  That would be my greatest concern about age.  With my own experience with age I can say that I just love where I am.  I wouldn’t trade youth for experience under any circumstances.

Bonnie’s Tips:  Feeling good about yourself is an inside job.  It has to come from living a fulfilling life, and I am there.  I express gratitude every day.  I feel blessed every day.  I feel fulfilled in the work that I do.  I meditate.  I work out.  I do what I can to feel good about myself.  It has nothing to do with my age.  It has to do with just wanting to have the most energy and the most out of every single moment of every single day.  So for me it’s not at all about age or aging.  It’s more about enriching my life day to day and making it the best it can be at any given time.

As far as advice is concerned, I would just say to live each moment.  I know that sounds trite.  Everybody says live each day as it comes, but it is really getting the most out of the life you have, getting the most out of the experiences, making the most out of relationships, touching people’s lives, making a difference in somebody else’s life.  I think you look within to be fulfilled and not look for happiness from the outside with the new car, the new house, the new whatever.   Instead, just know that you are contributing and making a difference in the world.  If you don’t feel that you are, then find a way to do that through volunteering, through a warm shoulder, through a compassionate ear, whatever you can do.  It is the relationships that are fostered along the way that is most important.

It is interesting that the word journey has the word our in it.  I think the journey is really a collective energy.

Bonnie Ross-Parker is a professional speaker and author and creator if the national organization, The Joy of Connecting.